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UMD Home > IEO > Programs > Program Information > Finland > Joensuu

Exchange at University of Eastern Finland

PROGRAM TERMS	Fall and/or Spring
CLASS STANDING	Sophomore, Junior, Senior
DEADLINE TO APPLY	Deadline Extended Fall 2012: April. 15, 2012 Spring 2013: Oct. 15, 2012
FEES	Programs costs can be found here
FINANCIAL AID	Yes
GPA	2.4
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION	English

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University Information
The University of Eastern Finland has campuses in three cities: Joensuu, Kuopio, and Savonlinna, Finland. The university offers studies in:

biosciences
education
forestry
humanities
law
economics and business administration
science
social sciences and regional studies
theology

Exchange and international students are offered programs in English, particularly in the areas of Karelia, Russia and the Baltic States (including Russian Studies), environmental science and forestry, educational sciences, social sciences, and law. Students may enroll in Finnish language studies. The university also offers exchange students the ability to choose courses in Finnish and possibly arrange independent study with the teacher.

The University of Eastern Finland is an international university with cooperation with dozens of universities in many other countries. Over 13,000 students study at University of Eastern Finland, including over 500 international degree-seeking students and nearly 400 international exchange students.

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Location Information
Finland is a nation of 5.2 million inhabitants. Helsinki, a southern coastal city of over 560,000, is the capital and largest city in Finland. As part of the Nordic countries, it shares borders with the Scandinavian peninsula and Russia. It forms the northeastern border of the European Union and is the most sparsely populated member country. Finnish culture is influenced by both Scandinavian and Russian cultures, bringing a unique blend of west and east. The country remains distinct on its own as the Finnish language shares no relation to any other major world language. The Finnish language, along with Estonian and Hungarian, belongs to the small Finno-Ugric language family. Modern Finland is a world leader in technology with one of the highest standards of living in the world. Finland also enjoys an abundance of nature with almost 200,000 lakes and about two-thirds of the country covered with forest.

The city of Joensuu is located in eastern Finland about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the Finnish-Russian border. Established in 1848, the city lies at the mouth of River Pielisjoki on the shore of Lake Pyhäselkä. Important business areas include the plastic and metal industry, wood & forestry sector, information & communication technology, and border region & cross-border collaboration. As capital of the North Karelia region of Finland, the city is also known as the forestry capital of Europe with its stronghold in research, inclusive the European Forest Institute and Joensuu Science Park. The city itself has 58,000 inhabitants with about 115,000 total in the economic region. The university brings a young population to the city, adding to its Karelian folk culture. Nature enthusiasts will find that Joensuu and the Karelian region has much to offer.

Kuopio is situated among beautiful lakes and forests in South-Central Finland and is roughly 84 miles (135 kilometers) from Joensuu. Established in 1775, Kuopio has grown to be the 8th largest city in Finland with about 90,000 inhabitants. This city is proud of its unique natural environment and expertise in science and technology. The Kuopio Science Park is an influential center for research, education, and business in the region. Kuopio is easily reached by air, train, and car. It is 160 km from Savonlinna and 400 km from Helsinki.

The city of Savonlinna is located on a number of islands on the Lake Saimaa. This city once lied on the border of Russia and Sweden-Finland. Savonlinna's 50,000 inhabitants take pride in their beautiful environment, growing economy, diverse education, good services, and safe community.

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Courses Available
University of Eastern Finland offers a variety of courses and programs for students to take in English instruction, particularly in the areas of Karelia, Russia and the Baltic States (including Russian Studies), environmental science and forestry, educational sciences, social sciences, and law. International and exchange students also have the opportunity to take courses in Finnish language while at Joensuu. Students will need to select either the Joensuu or Kuopio campus to enroll in classes.

If a particular course is found in the and is only offered via Finnish instruction, a student may possibly still enroll in the course and arrange independent study with the teacher to bridge the language barrier.

To view the most up-to-date course offerings in English, please view Study Programmes in English at the University of Eastern Finland web site. Information on courses is also available on the programme websites and the Student Information System WebOodi (a password is not required to view course information). Current course equivalents can be viewed at the UMD course equivalencies web page for the University of Eastern Finland.

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Academic Credit
The University of Eastern Finland uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) as a grading system. To arrive at the UMD credit equivalent from ECTS, divide the ECTS credits by half and round up to the next whole credit. For instance, 7.5 ECTS is 4 UMD credits and 15 ECTS is 8 UMD credits. Finnish credits (opintopiste) are equivalent to those in ECTS and during an academic year, full-time Finnish students take a total of 60 credits. Grading of courses is performed using to methods: 1) pass or fail, or 2) using the numerical systems of 0-5 (maximum), which is equivalent to the ECTS letter grades A-E.

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Eligibility
Degree seeking students at any University of Minnesota campus who have completed one full year of study prior to the beginning of the exchange are eligible. For some areas of study, students should have completed substantial upper division course work. The minimum GPA is 2.4, and students need to consult with a study abroad advisor in the International Education Office (IEO) in 138 Kirby Plaza before they apply. Tentative acceptance will be given by IEO. Final acceptance is issued by the foreign university.

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Costs
Our goal is to keep prices similar to those of attending UMD. The program cost per semester to attend University of Eastern Finland can be found here.

Fluctuating currency exchange rates may increase or decrease the cost of your international experience. Financial aid may be applied toward the cost of exchange programs. There are several study abroad scholarships for University of Minnesota students.

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Deadlines & Dates
Deadlines occur the semester prior to the start of a program. Thus for studies starting fall semester, March 15 will be the deadline to apply. While studies starting spring term, the deadlind to apply is October 15.

Study: Fall semester or full academic year
UMD Deadline to apply: April 15 (deadline extended)

Fall semester: August - December Study: Spring semester
UMD Deadline to apply: September 15
Spring semester: January- May

For more information on the academic calendar at University of Eastern Finland, click here.

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Orientation
At least one pre-departure orientation and one on-site orientation will be held. Pre-departure orientation will include information about financial aid information, class transferring, international insurance, student residence permit, classes, travel tips and two handbooks for participants to reference: a general study abroad handbook and a Finnish handbook.

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Housing
Student housing consists of typically student dormitories (flats) in Joensuu and apartments in Kuopio through off-campus housing companies.

Exchange students are typically accommodated in furnished rooms that have a bed, mattress, desk, chair and wardrobe. Other items, such as dishes, cutlery, linen, rugs, curtains, et cetera may be rented as a package from the Student Union or purchased separately.

Housing in Joensuu: Accommodation for a room in a shared flat ranges from 150-270 euros/month. Rent includes electricity, heating, water, laundry and access to the public sauna. Exchange students can pay a nominal monthly fee on top of rent to receive a furnished room (17 euro/month), internet connection (20 euro/month), or access to a private sauna.

Housing in Kuopio: Most international students live in a shared apartment. Each student has their own room and shares a kitchen and bathroom with 1-4 other students of same gender. Rent is 180-250 euros/monthly and includes water, heating, broadband internet connection, laundry and access to the public saunas. Rent does not include the cost of electricity or use of the private sauna. Additionally a furniture fee of 10 euros/month can be paid to have a furnished apartment and bedding (mattress, quilt, pillow, etc) can be rented for 20 euros/month.

More information can be found on the University of Eastern Finland's web site at http://www.uef.fi/studies/student-accommodation.

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What's Next?
Before applying, it is a good idea to follow the steps under steps to studying abroad. The IEO web site also provides information on financing, health & safety and other important information to consider when choosing to study abroad. When ready to apply, go to the IEO online study abroad application web page found here and apply.

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Applying for a Finnish Residence Permit

Information and instructions on applying for a Finnish Residence Permit can be found on the Embassy of Finland's web site: http://www.finland.org/public/default.aspx?nodeid=40969&contentlan=2&culture=en-US

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Helpful Links for Finland and Joensuu